Tag Archives: self-awareness

Becoming Self-Aware, Journal

Becoming Self-Aware: Step 5

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Step 5: Decide what kind of person you are going to become.

The next questions from Alma 5…

“… have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”

Or, in other words:

“Who do you want to become? Who do you want to be like? Have you started making the change?”

How do you start making changes? Becoming self-aware is an excellent start.

 

How do we know who we want to become? Who do we pattern our lives after?

I think the answer is different for everyone. In any case, we should pattern our lives after someone, or rather and ideal someone. Nobody is perfect and, obviously, we don’t want to repeat unnecessary mistakes made by others. So, pick someone. Choose someone you want to be like.

When answering the question “Who do you want to become?” understand that you’re not looking for someone else to become. You’re becoming a better version of you. Picture yourself in 5, 10, 20 years from now. What do you see? Do you see expensive cars and a giant house? Do you see children or grandchildren? What do you see around you?

How do you make that vision a reality? What things do you need to do NOW to make that happen? Have you started making the change? Nobody else can do it for you.

Step 1: Learn where you came from and why you think the way you do.

Step 2: Be grateful for the things, tangible or not, that you already have.

Step 3: Be grateful for your challenges – they make you who you are.

Step 4: Choose to believe.

Step 5: Decide what kind of person you’re going to become. Envision it.

Becoming Self-Aware, Journal

Becoming Self-Aware: Step 4

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Step 4 in becoming self-aware: Choose to believe.

The question is posed like this in Alma 5:

“…on what conditions were they saved? … what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?”

What gives us hope that there’s something after the darkness? We all experience darkness at some point, right? If you don’t know whether you do or not, think about it. Has there ever been a time when you felt like you were completely and utterly alone?

When you feel that way, what gives you hope? What do you do to make yourself feel better? Do you go shopping? Do you exercise? Do you call your mom? A friend? Do you talk to others?

A girl I know takes a good long look in the mirror. She said that she stares at her eyes for as long as it takes until the rest of her disappears and all she sees is what’s inside her. Then she evaluates that to decide where to go from there.

What do you have hope in? What is it that loosens your bands? That frees you from feeling worthless and depressed?

If you haven’t found anything yet, might I suggest service? When you’re feeling at your lowest point, find someone you can help. Not only will you feel better about yourself, you’ll also be able to help someone else feel better too.

To continue with Alma’s questions as they pertain to Step 4 (he gives us something else to have hope in):

“Behold, I can tell you – did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?”

Whether you believe in prophets or in God at this point is irrelevant. Believing in something gives you something to hope for. Believe the words of your friends as they try to help you feel better. They know what others think and what others say about you better than you do. Choose to believe them when they tell you how awesome you are. Believe them when they tell you that things will get better, because they will.

Step 1: Learn where you came from and why you think the way you do.

Step 2: Be grateful for the things, tangible or not, that you already have.

Step 3: Be grateful for your challenges – they make you who you are.

Step 4: Choose to believe.

Becoming Self-Aware, Journal

Becoming Self-Aware: Step 3

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Step 3 in becoming self-aware: Be grateful for your challenges – they make you who you are.

The next question in Alma 5:

“… were they destroyed? … were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell  which encircled them about, were they loosed?”

He’s still speaking of remembering their fathers here, but I think we could apply this question both to those who came before us as well as ourselves.

Alma answers both questions right after asking them. No, they were not destroyed, and yes, the chains of hell and the bands of death were loosed.

“… and their souls did expand,  and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.”

From these few points we learn that our challenges make us who we are. Their challenges, trials, difficult circumstances didn’t destroy them. They kept going.

“… he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep…”

How many things in our lives have we been through that, when we look back on them, have changed us? For worse or for better? What do we do with our trials? What do we do when challenges arise that push us to our limits? Do we shut down? Do we keep pushing?

Have you ever stopped to think about what you do in difficult times? How you treat others? Do you stay positive? Do you hide in your closet until it passes?

Knowing how we deal with difficult circumstances can help us to become more self-aware and being more self-aware in this aspect can help us to self-manage or self-regulate when things get harder. When we know how we’ll respond to something, we can start to plan on a different approach (if that’s the path we choose to take).

Step 1: Learn where you came from and why you think the way you do.

Step 2: Be grateful for the things, tangible or not, that you already have.

Step 3: Be grateful for your challenges – they make you who you are.

Becoming Self-Aware, Journal, Lessons Learned

Becoming Self-Aware: Step 2

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The second question asked in Alma 5 is:

“…have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them?”

He’s still speaking of your “fathers” here. The second step to becoming self-aware is to think of all of the things those who came before you were blessed with. You’ve already remembered all of the hard things and the difficult times they endured for you. Now think of the good things.

When we think of the bad things, all of those times when we were frustrated because of a response we received to something we did soften a little.

When we think of the good things in those who came before us, we realize that many of the good things in us came from them.

Where remembering the bad things brings us a sense of understanding, remembering the good things brings us a sense of gratitude.

Step 1: Learn where you come from and why you think the way you do (understand where you come from).

Step 2: Be grateful for the things, tangible or not, that you already have.

Becoming Self-Aware, Journal, Lessons Learned

Becoming Self-Aware – Step 1

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Step 1 to Self-Awareness: Learn where you come from and why you think the way you do.

How do we measure our own Emotional Intelligence? If we are lacking in the self-awareness category, can we even begin? I believe we can and I believe that the Book of Mormon gives us a good guideline for becoming self-aware and helping us with our relationships with others.

The questions I’ll be bringing up in this series of posts will be coming from Alma chapter 5.

The first question he asks is this:

“…have you sufficiently retained in remembrance‍ the captivity  of your fathers?”

The first step is to apply the question to ourselves. For many of us, our fathers weren’t in captivity, so how can this possibly apply?

Let me suggest this…

We were raised by our parents/guardians. We think and act the way we do, largely because of how we were raised. Many people even try to justify making bad decisions on their upbringing and lack of opportunity. It stands to reason then, that our parents’/guardians’ actions stemmed from the same place – how they were raised. Our parents likely taught us what they knew, the best way they knew how.

Now let me ask the question again.

Have you, sufficiently, remembered or learned where your parents came from and why they taught you the things they did the way they did?

Do you know where your thought processes come from?

Until you do, you can’t change them (if that’s what you’re looking to do).

Step 1 to Self-Awareness: Learn where you come from and why you think the way you do.